Botswana gets loan to finance Kasane airport
The Botswana government press agency has released a news article related to the Kasane airport serving Chobe. It looks like the goal will be to upgrade the airport to allow aircraft as large as the Boeing 737. The airport is served primarily by ‘bush pilots’ and a few flights a day of the commuter flight from Johannesburg by Air Botswana. The Air Botswana flight schedule varies with the season. This may add some luxury to your travel to Chobe and make arrival easier; however, the downside is that, with too many commercial flights, the special and remote feel of the park could be lost. Let’s hope that this only replaces the tour buses that travel the long road to Kasane from South Africa and does not significantly add to that group of travelers. Here is the press release in it’s entirety:
Kasane Airport serves Chobe National Park
26 APRIL 2010
GABORONE – Botswana has received a P55 million loan from the Arab Bank for Economic Development in Africa (BADEA) to finance the development of Kasane airport.
The airport development is estimated to cost P180 million and financing will come from BADEA, government of Botswana and the OPEC Fund for International Development (OFID).
This is not the first time Botswana has received loans and grants from BADEA since the two have been partners in development matters since 1975.
The total amount of loans and grants offered to Botswana to date is US$127 470 000 stated Assistant Minister of Finance and Development Planning, Mr Charles Tibone.
Speaking at the signing ceremony last week, Mr Tibone said the bank assisted Botswana in areas of infrastructure development, technical expertise, small and medium scale enterprises as well as capacity building in foot and mouth disease control.
Mr Tibone explained that Botswana is in the process of transforming its economy from one that is heavily dependent on minerals by increasing the growth of other sectors such as transport, tourism and financial services.
Therefore, he said the upgrading and expansion of Kasane airport to handle greater volumes of traffic will add impetus to growth in other sectors of the economy noting Botswanas central location in the Southern Africa region offered an advantage in terms of providing air links to neighbouring countries.
He said Kasane airport facility, which was opened to traffic in 1991 provided access to the major tourist attraction in the area being the Chobe National Park.
The passenger and aircraft movement at the airport consists of international, domestic, scheduled, chartered, private and transit traffic, Mr Tibone said.
Kasane airport has experienced a significant growth in terms of traffic over the years, said Mr Tibone adding that passenger traffic grew from 9 398 in 1991 to 63 267 passengers in 2008 whereas aircraft movements increased from 1 540 aircraft movements in 1991 to 13 549 in 2008.
He pointed out that the funds would go into rehabilitating and developing the airport whose components contain upgrading the runway and buildings as well as provision of equipment and consultancy services.
Air Botswana is the only 'connecting airline' currently serving Kasane/Chobe NP
The upgrading works he said entailed extending the runway from the current 2 000 to 3000 metres as well as widening of the runway width to 45 metres, refurbishing of terminal buildings to cater for the expected increase in traffic, providing additional parking for small aircraft as well as serviced space where private tenants can erect their own hangars and construction of new offices for the airport staff members.
Furthermore, he said the expansion of the airport would facilitate the landing as well as take off of aircraft of Boeing 737 or equivalent class.
The multi-million project involves extending the runway from two to three kilometers and widening the width to 45 metres, refurbishing the terminal building to cater for increased traffic, additional parking for small aircraft and serviced space for private tenants to erect their own hangars and build new offices for the airport staff. When complete, Kasane Airport will be able to handle Boeing 737 and equivalent aircraft, boosting traffic to the tourism- rich northwest region.
Passenger volumes and aircraft movements, both domestic and international, have risen over the years, necessitating the upgrade and expansion of the airport. Passenger traffic grew from 9,398 in 1991 to 63,267 in 2008, while aircraft movements increased by 12,000 to 13,549 over the same period. “This is an extremely important project especially as we are looking at diversification away from mining into growth areas such as tourism. This facility provides access to the major tourist attraction in the area, namely, the Chobe National Park,” said Tibone.
Director General of BADEA, Mr Abdelaziz Khelef said the gesture was an indicator of the brotherly relations that bind the government of Botswana and BADEA on one hand and with the Arab countries and their people on the other.
He said by making such a contribution, local and regional aviation networks would be strengthened as well as the provision of better and more efficient transport links.
It is envisaged that that the benefits of the project will not only include the local economy but will spill over to benefit the neighbouring countries such as Zimbabwe, Namibia and Zambia as well as the whole region, stated Mr Khelef.
The conditions of the loan include a five year grace period and a 20 year repayment period.
Some of the local projects financed by BADEA include Serowe-Orapa road, Nata-Maun road, Maun water project, North-South water carrier project and technical assistance to roads department, rural electrification, agriculture as well as water sanitation among others.BOPA
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